The Grieving Stones

Above you will see the cover art, by the remarkable David Verba. It's surreal, ambiguous, abstract - three things I really love. Hopefully the story will do this artwork justice.

The novella was the last thing of substance I managed to produce before a form of writer's block stopped me writing for a lengthy period of time. I know now it was simply part of my creative process - an unfortunate lull in my creativity, during which I needed to refill the well. At the time, it felt like the end of my world.

I remember editing the piece on holiday in Menorca last summer. At the time, I'd hoped the editing process would help clear the creative block, but that didn't happen. Thankfully I'm writing again, but the memory of working on this story is a painful one. Every word felt like it was ripped out of me; each page was another layer of skin being torn from my body. It was hard work, but I'm proud of the finished novella. Things that are toughest to write often end up being your favourite pieces. The struggle makes the end product that little bit more worthwhile. That's how it works for me, anyway.